Networker We Care

Networker We care. We share. We all gain. Issue 6, 6 August 2007 August is Membership Month Table of Contents August is Membership Month . 1 The Superheroes The Superheroes .........1 Mel Gray’s Membership Corner . 2 For over 100 years, Rotary’s superhero has been the individual member. Before You Throw It Out… ....3 Kevin, the gas fitter, turned to the cardiologist and said, “I think you’re wrong New Members ..........4 Jack. But let’s try it your way first. We’ll never know otherwise.” Jack smiled 40+ Rotarian ...........4 and nodded. “What about you, Mary?” he asked. Mary exhaled, “Well, as you know, I run a large canteen and know a bit about keeping costs down. Notices & Events .........6 I’m happy to give Jack’s idea a go.” The Reverend Peter looked skywards, The Erina Essay Competition . 7 “I’m a bit committed on Sunday morning … comes with the job … but I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and help after lunch.” In The Media ...........8 “You could drop a kilo or two, Shane,” said Police Sergeant John, “you could Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar . 9 have the property sold by 2 o’clock and still get three hours work done.” Murder In The Pulpit… ......9 Shane patted his paunch, “You’re right, being an auctioneer is exciting, but it doesn’t produce a chiselled body!” “They don’t make chisels that big”, said New Rotarian ..........10 Jack. Featured Club ..........11 Light-hearted banter from a group of Rotarians who know each other and How’s Your Club Shaping Up? . 13 get on very well. Different vocations … a common goal … meeting to dis- cuss their plan. It could be anywhere - a Rotary sub-committee, or even board members, doing what Rotary does brilliantly. “Does” is the operative word, because Rotarians are doers. The group here illustrates Rotary’s greatest strength - the individual member. The individual member comes to the club with a history, a vocation and, most importantly, a personality. He or she brings a fresh perspective and unique set of ideas to the club. What a fabulous resource! The illustration touches on a few points, but mainly it celebrates diversity. In- dividual members, old and new, bring a range of attitudes and possibilities to the Rotary Club environment. The individual member is our lifeblood. In Rotary we need to be constantly aware of the need to renew our values and our people. We need new members - we need their enthusiasm and drive. August is Membership Month and more members are required to continue and expand the projects of Rotary. A new member is a wonderful multi-fac- eted addition to every club. They bring their time, energy, families, skills and personalities. The individual member … the single Rotarian … can move mountains. In their infancy, great ideas are usually the brainchild of one person. The unique structure and the diversity of Rotary mean that great ideas can become a reality. A new Rotarian who is seized by the possibilities afforded by Rotary is a tremendous asset. Suddenly, there is one more person - the individual member - who, through Rotary’s ability to deliver, will have a capacity to offer support, inspiration, healing, dignity, hope and a future to people in near communities and around the world. Nothing is as fatiguing as eternally putting off the unfinished task. Get on with whatever it is that you must do! Wes Truscott, 2007 Rotary District 9800 Issue 6, 6 August 2007 Page 1 Networker We care. We share. We all gain. I would therefore ask each club in our District this month, Membership Month, to induct at least one new member or ap- proach at least 5 potential members to join their club. New members bring new life and vitality to a club, they are the future of Rotary for without new members, nothing else matters. Because however good our work, however valuable and vital it may be, without new members it will only take a few decades for Rotary to disappear. At San Diego, Rotary President Wilf Wilkinson asked each incoming District Governor to bring in one new member in their year of office, and I am pleased to report I have filled this request. The second part of President Wilf’s message was for each Governor to ask Club Presidents to bring in one new member in their year of office, and so I re issue this challenge to all Club Presidents in 2007-8. I have your sponsor pin waiting. Furthermore, the strength of our clubs stems from the dedication, commitment and enthusiasm of their members in achieving the objectives that each club sets itself at the start of each Rotary year. Therefore, I ask Rotarians in our Dis- trict who have not been able to contribute to their club’s activities as much as they would have liked to recently, to re- commit to Rotary and your club over the next few months. Remember, your non-participation and non-attendance at club meetings limits the capacity of your club to help others. Also, the members of your club miss the regular contact they should be having with you each week …. and for good reason … Rotarians are really nice people to get to know! John Davis, District Governor Mel Gray’s Membership Corner As you are all aware, August is Membership Month. The following letter from RI President Wilfrid J Wilkinson encapsu- lates the meaning of what we do as Rotarians, and the gift you can share with others in asking them to join Rotary. “Dear Fellow Rotarians In Rotary, August is the month we set aside to focus on membership. It’s appropriate that this time occurs at the beginning of the Ro- tary year, because everything that happens in Rotary begins with membership. When I speak at Rotary gatherings, I often tell the story of how I was invited into the organisation. I was new in my town of Trenton, Ont., Canada, and my wife, Joan, and I hadn’t yet met many people. We were active in our church and in the Boy Scouts, so it probably would have just been a matter of time before we were asked to join a service group. And as it happened, I was invited to a Rotary club meeting. Mel Gray and his wife Rotary seemed like a good place for someone like me to meet like-minded people. I talked about it with Joan, and we both thought it could lead to some new friends, and possibly a good chance to do some worthwhile community service. I thought I might even attract some new clients to my fledgling accounting practice. So, when I was invited to join, I did. Now, 45 years later, that decision has shaped our lives. I thought I was joining a club. Really, I was joining one part of an organisation that strengthens communities, improves health, creates possibilities, saves lives, and makes the world better in too many ways to count, every single day. So many things I’ve seen as a Rotary leader have made me proud to be a Rotarian. But I know that being proud is not sufficient. We must share our pride with colleagues, friends, and family members, and we must seek out qualified men and women whom we’ll be proud to see as Rotarians. A new generation of Rotarians is essential to every club, and to Rotary. In some parts of the world, our clubs are thriv- ing, and new ones are forming. But in others, clubs are aging and doing little to attract new members. As members leave, there is no one to replace them – and when a club disappears, there is no one to take on the world that’s left un- done. All of us know that when we ask someone to join Rotary, we are not imposing a burden. We are giving a gift. We are sharing with another person the wonderful, amazing force that is Rotary, just as Rotary Shares with us. Rotary District 9800 Issue 6, 6 August 2007 Page 2 Networker We care. We share. We all gain. So I urge each of you, this very week, as proud Rotarians, to share Rotary with a qualified individual. Submit the name of at least one prospective member, and if approved, ask that person to join – just as someone did for me, and just as someone did for you.” Wilfrid J. (Wilf) Wilkinson President, Rotary International Recruiting new members is critical to our future. It is also one of the easiest things to do as a Rotarian. What could be simpler than inviting someone to your club’s next meeting? For further information on Membership, visit our District website, or email Mel at [email protected] Before You Throw It Out… 10 Tips For Donating A Computer pdating your PC, as for any new equipment, generally means that your ‘preloved’ PC has become obsolete for Uyour purposes, and has to be disposed of. What will you do with it? There are good reasons why finding the appropriate way to discard old computer equipment is important. In the U.S., some 63.3 million computer desktops are superceded in one year alone. According to the National Safety Council and the EPA, 85% of them will end up in landfills across the country, constituting an ever-growing environmental haz- ard. In Australia, the situation is similar though on a smaller scale. Each computer unnecessarily dumped in a landfill is a missed opportunity to provide people affected by the digi- tal divide with tools to participate in the Information Age.

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